Bucknell University
#15 Princeton
Bucknell Men's Water Polo Falls to No. 15 Princeton in Eastern Championship Third-Place Game, 8-7
11/21/2010 7:00:00 AM | Men's Water Polo
Nov. 21, 2010
LEWISBURG, Pa. - The Bucknell men's water polo team was aiming for its second consecutive third-place finish at the Eastern Championship on Sunday at Kinney Natatorium, but the 17th-ranked Bison dropped an 8-7 decision to No. 15 Princeton to place fourth in the eight-team field. Bucknell finished the 2010 campaign with a 13-16 overall record.
St. Francis (N.Y.) claimed the Eastern Championship crown on Sunday, defeating Navy 8-4 in the championship tilt. The Terriers will represent the Collegiate Water Polo Association at next month's NCAA Championship at Cal.
Bucknell, which fell to 1-4 against Princeton this season with Sunday's loss, led early against the Tigers, but Princeton netted four of the first five goals in the second half to turn a 4-3 halftime advantage into an 8-4 score. The Bison closed the final margin by scoring twice in the final 32 seconds, after Princeton (19-7) was trying to run the clock out.
The game featured 28 ejections, three misconducts, two yellow cards and a red card. Despite 11 man-up chances, Bucknell converted on just three. The Bison also missed scoring on two five-meter penalty shots.
Senior Richie Hyden (Melbourne, Australia/Greenwich (Conn.)) led all Bucknell goal scorers with two goals, while five others posted one apiece. Hyden finished his Bison career sixth in points (393), seventh in goals (232) and fifth in assists (161). This year alone he totaled 52 goals, 37 assists and 89 points.
On the defensive side of the pool senior Miles Gilhuly (Orinda, Calif./Miramonte) recorded seven saves, including six in the first half. On two separate occasions he posted two saves on one Princeton possession.
Sunday's contest marked the final game in the careers of seniors Hyden, Gilhuly, Howie Kalter (Durham, N.H./Phillips Academy Andover), Sean Coghlan (Chicago, Ill./Brother Rice) and Paul Reamey (Palo Alto, Calif./Palo Alto). That quintet helped the Bison to 67 victories over the last four years. Kalter recorded one goal, one steal and one ejection drawn in his final contest, while Coghlan tallied two ejections drawn. Reamey posted one steal and an assist.
Bucknell ended the season by playing seven ranked teams in its last nine games.
With their fourth-place finish at the Eastern Championship, the Bison have now finished in the top five at the event seven straight years.
PRINCETON 2 2 2 2 -8
BUCKNELL 2 1 1 3 -7
Goals: Hyden (2), Richley, Kalter, Barron, Schwartz, Barnett.
Assists: Else (2), Caillouette, Reamey.
Field Blocks: none
Ejections Drawn: Caillouette (3), Barnett (3), Coghlan (2), Nowlin (2), Else, Hyden, Kalter, Reitz.
Saves: Gilhuly (7 svs., 8 ga., 32:00 min.).
Steals: Caillouette (2), Hyden (2), Gilhuly (2), Richley, Kalter, Reamey, Reitz.
Sprints: Barron (2-3), Reitz (1-1).
Bucknell Record: 13-15.
Eastern Championship Schedule
Friday, Nov. 19
Game 1: Princeton 10, MIT 4
Game 2: Navy 15, Brown 9
Game 3: St. Francis (N.Y.) 9, Johns Hopkins 8
Game 4: Bucknell 12, Fordham 9 (OT)
Saturday, Nov. 20
Game 5: Brown 8, MIT 4
Game 6: Johns Hopkins 11, Fordham 8
Game 7: Navy 8, Princeton 5
Game 8: St. Francis (N.Y.) 10, Bucknell 9
Sunday, Nov. 21
7th Place: MIT 7, Fordham 6
5th Place: Brown 10, Johns Hopkins 5
3rd Place: Princeton 8, Bucknell 7
1st Place: St. Francis (N.Y.) 8, Navy 4
